Inspection and reclosure box



May 5,4 1970 D. M. NORDSTROM 3,510,051

INSPECTION AND RECLOSURE BOX May 5, 1970 D. M. NGRDSTRGM 3510,05

INSPECTION AND RECLOSURE BOX Filed Feb. 17, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Kw1 WM, M r W #fraz/146%! D. M. NORDSTROM 3,510,051

INSPECTION AND RECLOSURE BOX 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I NVENTOR.

#fraz/vir.;

May 5, 1970 Filed Feb. 17, 1967 FIG- l l Unted States Patent O 3,510,051 INSPECTION AND RECLOSURE BOX Duane M. Nordstrom, Kelso, Wash., assignor to Longview Fibre 'Company, Longview, Wash., a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 17, 1969, Ser. No. 799,599 Int. Cl. B65d 5/54, 17/00 U.S. Cl. 229-51 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A box formed from a single sheet of libreboard, cardboard or the like of conventional outline including inner and outer closure flaps of standard outline in lapping relation closing the upper side of said box, and portions of said inner flaps connected with said outer aps and separable from said inner flaps upon manually opening one of said outer flaps, exposing half the box contents, and part of said portions re-engageable, in holding relation, with the other sealed outer flap upon closing the opened ilap.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The packaging industry is substantially standardized with respect to machinery for lling, closing, and sealing rectangular cardboard and breboard boxes of the type having side walls and top and bottom closure flaps integral therewith along the upper and lower edges of the side walls for folding to lapping relation to provide the top and bottom of each box with the pair of flaps on one pair of opposed side walls being innermost and the flaps of the other pair on the other pair of opposed side walls being outermost.

' The inner and outer flaps that are in lapping relation are glued together by glue applied by glue applicators to either the inner flaps or the outer flaps.

Boxes of the above type and structure are generally used `for packaging and shipping fresh and frozen produce from packing plants to markets where buyers take delivery and, at the markets, the prospective buyers normally open a number of the sealed boxes in each shipment to examine the contents, with the result that the flaps may be torn or disligured in the opening and re-closing operation (if reclosed) and are seldom, if ever, restored to the original sealed appearance.

Attempts to solve the problem of providing structure that enables opening a cardboard or breboard box for inspection of its contents, and reclosing it without destroying its appearance, have been made by providing a closure with side walls that telescopically lit over the side walls 'of the box. Such structure however, is quite costly due to the extra material required, the additional machinery and time required to apply the closures. Also the gross weight of the filled boxes and their lateral outside dimensions are increased.

One of the objects of the present invention is the provision of structure in the blank of conventional outline for forming a box having the usual side walls, and lapping closure flaps that are secured together in lapped relation, that enables opening the top closure flaps for inspection of the contents, and reclosing the top flaps to a condition in which the top aps are held in closed position without visible evidence of the closure having been opened, and without the employment of tape, glue, staples or other auxiliary aids.

1 Another of the objects of the present invention is the provision of a conventional box having the usual sets of top and bottom closure flaps, the walls and closure flaps being integrally united and formed from a planar blank of single thickness that is adapted to be folded in the 3,510,051y Patented May 5, 1970 ordinary manner and lled, closed and sealed, all by conventional machinery, and which box provides means enabling quick manual opening thereof to expose the contents for inspection and equally quick recloslng and resecuring the box in closed condition in which its appearance is the same as before reclosing.

No material is added to the box of the present invention, no inter-fitting tab-slot structure is required, and the blanks from which the box is formed are indistinguishable to the eye from blanks for making conventional boxes of the type hereinbefore mentioned, except by close inspection for the reason that the outlines of the blank are identical to that of standard boxes and the area within the outline is as free from tabs, openings, recesses and projections as in the blanks for standard boxes.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank from which the box is formed.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a box formed from the blank of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the box of FIG. 2 with two of the opposite closure aps in closed position and the other two closure flaps in open position showing the points where the glue is applied.

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of a closed and sealed box showing the initial step in opening the box for inspection of its contents.

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the box of FIG. 4 showing the one closure ap engaged by the opening hand released for opening the box.

FIG. 6` is an isometric view of the box of FIGS. 4, 5 in a position preparatory to closing it.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary view similar to FIG. 7, but showing the closure llap gripped by the hand indicated in FIG. 4 in partly opened position.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary view similar to FIGS. 7, 8, showing the closure flap that has been opened in the position of FIG. 6 for reclosing.

FIG. 10 is atop plan view of the box in which the uppermost top closure flaps are of different widths, and in which the present invention is present.

FIG. 11 is a top plan view of a square box incorporating the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The blank of FIG. 1 is rectangular and is formed with a pair of parallel spaced folding creases 1, 2 extending longitudinally thereof defining the upper and lower edges of the lateral walls of the box to be formed. Transverse spaced folding creases 3, 4, 5, extending across the portion of the blank between creases 1, 2, are normal to the latter, and define ends of the lateral walls 6, 7, 8, 9 of the box to be formed from the blank with walls 6, 8 being opposed lateral end walls, and walls 7, 9 being the opposed side walls of said box.

The portions of the blank along and outwardly of the pair of folding creases 1, 2 are formed with slots 10, which slots are in longitudinal extension of folding creases 3, 4, 5. Slots 10 extend to the longitudinally-extending edges of the blank dividing the portions of the blank along and outwardly of the pair of folding creases 1, 2 into rectangular top closure flaps 16, 17, 18, 19 along folding crease 1, and rectangular bottom closure aps 26, 27, 28 and 29 along folding crease 2.

An end tab 30 at one end of the central portion of the blank that is between folding creases 1, 2 projects outwardly of said blank and is foldable along a folding crease 31 that is parallel withv creases 6-9 for securement of said tab to the marginal portion of the blank along the end edge of said central portion that is opposite to said tab, by glue, staples or other suitable means when the blank is folded along creases to form the box. In some instances the ends of the blank are taped together.

The walls or panels 6, 8 are of equal length longitudinally of the blank, and walls 7, 9 are also of equal length; hence, when the end tab 30 is secured to the opposite end of the blank, the blank may be square by folding along the folding creases 3, 4, 5, so that walls 6, 8 are in opposed relation to each other, and walls 7, 9 are also in opposed relation to each other, but at right angles to walls 6, 8.

Where walls 6, 8 are shorter than walls 7, 9, as seen in FIG. l, the ultimate box is oblong in shape, and in the formation of the box, the iiaps 26, 28 are initially folded toward each other at right angles to walls 6, 8 and after which the iiaps 27, 29 are folded toward each other and are glued to the outer surfaces of flaps 26, 28 to form the bottom of the box. Thus, flaps 26-29 are bottom closure flaps and become the bottom of the box.

The present invention resides in structure in the top closure aps, which yare the aps 16, 17, 18 and 19. In outline and size, these may be identical in size and outline to the bottom closure flaps 26, 27, 28 and 29, the top closure flaps being along crease 1.

The closure flaps 16 and 18, when folded to closed positions will be positioned at the inner side of the box and are opposed to, and in engagement with flaps 17, 19 when the box is closed. As these flaps are on Walls or panels 6, 8 of the blank, which walls are shorter in length than walls 7, 9, the outer edges of said flaps 16, 18 will be spaced apart a distance indicated at 32 (FIG. 2) which space is preferably approximately equal to the Width of the normal hand of an adult man across the four fingers of said hand, when closed, exclusive of the thumb. This space 32 is usual in oblong boxes of standard size and that are formed from oblong blanks as seen in FIG. l.

The top closure aps 17, 19, when folded over the previously folded top closure flaps, substantially meet along their outer edges (FIG. 2) to form together with the inner aps 16, 18 a closed top for the box.

In the present invention, a section 33 of each of the inner closure flaps 16, 18 (FIG. 1) is partially cut from the iiaps 16, 18 along lines 34 that are parallel with and adjacent to folding crease 1, and which cuts extend into flaps 16, 18 from slots 10 at opposite ends of the closure flap 17 to points approximately half way across each 0f aps 16, 18. These points are approximately opposite to the adjacent longitudinally-extending adjacent edges of the outer top folding flaps 17, 19 when the box is formed.

Cut 34 in each inner flap 16, 18 defines one of the edges of a section 33 that is in each such iiap. The longitudinally extending outer edge 35 of each Hap 16, 18 and the free edge 36 adjoining the end edge 35 0f each flap 16, 18 define the other two edges of each section 33. A cut 37 extends into each ap 16, 18 perpendicular to outer edge 35 thereof from a point along said outer edge 35. Thus cut 37 is positioned below the top closure flap 19 (FIG. 2) being spaced a relatively short distance from, and parallel with the free longitudinally extending outer edge 37 of the top closure ap 19, and a continuation 38 of the cut 37 may extend slantingly to connect with the terminal end of cut 34 that terminates approximately at said adjacent outer edges of top closure aps 17, 19 when the box is formed.

Sections 33 are integrally connected with the inner closure aps 16, 18 by narrow lands 40 spaced along the cuts 34, and by a land 41 intermediate the ends of cut 37, 38 (FIG. 3) so that said sections are coplanar with aps 16, 18 but separable from said aps along the lines of cuts 34, 37, 38 upon breakage of the lands.

Glue 42 (FIG. 3) is applied to the surfaces of flaps 17, 19 that are to engage aps 16, 18 when the latter are folded toward each other and the outer aps are horizontal and ready for closing and for sealing the box closed. In conventional sealers the glue may be applied in spaced areas of any desired size, and may be applied to the upper surfaces of inner flaps 16, 18, instead of to the flaps 17, 19, but in either instance, in the present invention, the glue is applied so as to secure sections 33 of flaps 16, 18 to closure flap 17, andto secure the top flap 19 to the portions of flaps 16, 18 that are adjacent to sections 33 and below iiap 19.

After the box is filled, closed' and sealed, its outward appearance is that of a conventional box. The sections 33 are completely covered by flaps 17, 19, or substantially so.

The entire operation of making the box is accomplished by conventional box making machinery including the cuts 34, 37, 38 which are made by ordinary rotary dies. These cuts are actually slits, and the double lines shown in the drawings are to distinguish the cuts from the other lines, and to show the lands.

To open the box for inspection, of its contents, it is only necessary for the tips of the fingers of a hand 45 to engage slightly under the edge of the upper outer closure flap 17 where the space 32 exists between the adjacent outer edges of the inner flaps 16, 18 and to sharply pull upward, whereupon the lands 40, 41 will break and the lips 50 will flex to pass the portions 51 of flap 19. The ap 19 may move slightly upwardly when the upward pull is exerted on flap 17, which contributes to the passage of lips 50 past the portions 51, but the lips will normally ex, in any event, to pass the edge of flap 19 (FIGS. 7, s).

In this connection, in conventional boxes of the type described, there is a slight gap between the adjacent edges of the flaps 17, 19 when the box is closed, which facilitates engagement of the edge of the ap 17 with fingers.

It is pertinent to note that were only flap 17 to be opened, the contents of the box would be exposed only in the space 32, which is inadequate for inspection of the contents. By carrying sections 33 away from the contents with iiap 17, an adequate inspection of the contents can be made.

By cutting the sections 33 along lines 34, a ange 53 (FIG. 5) at a right angle to each of the end walls6 will remain to reinforce said end walls and may partially overlie some of the contents. To reclose the box, it is only necessary to swing the iiap 17 back to the position shown in FIG. 6 and a downward pressure thereon will iiex the lips 50 sufficiently to pass the portions 51 on the flap 19 and to restore the box to the original closed condition, in which the lips 50 will hold the flap 17 closed. The lands are not essential to holding the flap 17 in closed position (FIG. 9).

In actual practice the ap 17 may be opened and closed many times without objectionably impairing the manner of operation of the locking or holding lips 50 or their efficiency.

As seen in FIG. l0, it is not necessary that the outer top closure flaps, corresponding generally to aps 17, 19 be of equal width extending to the center of the box.

There are instances where users prefer a more extensive exposed area when a flap is opened, or the nature of the goods to be packed in the box may make it desirable for the approximate meeting line of the uppermost closure flaps to he offset at a specific distance from the centerline of the box.

In the box of FIG. 10, one of the uppermost of the top closure flaps, designated 55, is substantially wider than the other uppermost flap 56. The sections in the inner flaps 57 beneath flaps 55, 56, that are to function like sections 33 are cut along lines 58 from iiaps 57 and are glued to the flap 55 in the areas 58', and these sections have lips 59 underlying the marginal portion of flap 56 along the longitudinally-extending free edge of the latter. Thus, in the box of FIG. 10, substantially more than half the contents of the box may be exposed for inspection when the iiap S is opened in the manner described for the box of FIGS. 1-9.

The box of FIG. 11 is square and the uppermost of the top closure ap, designated 61, carries sections similar to sections 33 cut along lines 63 in the inner flaps 64 to provide lips 65 that underline the marginal portion of the other uppermost closure ap 66 that is adjacent to flap 61.

In the box of FIG. 11 the inner flaps 64 are cut back to lesser width than flaps `61, 66 to provide a space between iiaps 64 that corresponds to space 32 in FIG. 2. The lips 65 in FIG. 11 are of uniform width, instead of having the slanted edge formed by the cuts along lines 38 of FIGS. 1, 2.

In all forms of the invention, lands are provided for holding the sections that are formed in the inner closure flaps coplanar with said flaps, and the number and widths of the lands may vary according to the size of the boxes to be formed and the weight and structure of the stock that is used.

In all forms of the invention, after securement of the tabs 30 to the opposite end of the blank, the boxes may be shipped in collapsed, iiat condition for packaging of the produce or articles to be carried therein, in exactly the same manner as conventional boxes in which one of the uppermost top closure flaps must be torn from the aps therebelow to open the box, and then taped or retaped in closed position after opening the box.

The use of the words side walls hereinafter is intended to include all lateral walls, including end walls, as distinguished from the top land bottom walls or closure flaps, and the inner top closure aps are the top closure flaps that are innermost relative to the inside of the box, while the outer top closure aps are the top closure flaps that are outermost relative to the inside of the box, or above the inner top closure aps.

What is claimed is:

1. In a rectangular box formed from a blank of resilient sheet material folded along parallel lines to provide two pairs of side walls in opposed relation at right angles to each other, a pair of coplanar inner top closure flaps extending toward each other from one pair of opposed side walls and terminating in outer free edges intermediate said one pair of opposed side walls, a pair of outer coplanar top closure aps in overlapping engagement with said pair of inner top closure iiaps extending toward each other from the other pair of opposed side Walls and terminating in free outer edges in approximately meeting relation intermediate said other pair of opposed side walls, the improvement comprising;

(a) each of said inner top closure fiaps including a section thereof below one of said outer top closure iiaps provided with a lip integral therewith extending below the marginal portion of the other of said outer top closure flaps along the free outer edge of the latter,

(b) means securing each of said sections to said one of said outer top closure iiaps for movement therewith upon swinging the latter from closed position coplanar with said other of said outer top closure iiap outwardly relative to the inside of said box to open position whereby the contents of said box below said sections will be exposed,

(c) said inner top closure aps including lines of frangible means integral therewith securing said sections coplanar with said inner top folding aps when said blank is folded to form said box and breakable along said lines upon so swinging said one of said outer flaps to which said sections =are secured from said closed position to said open position,

(d) said lips on said sections being unsecured to said other of said outer top closure flap for springing past said outer edge of the latter upon swinging said one outer top closure ap to open position, and upon swinging said one outer top closure iiap back to closed position and for releasably holding said outer top closure flap closed,

(e) means for securing said other outer top closure ap to said inner top closure aps against movement of said other outer top closure iiap to open position upon said lips being sprung past said outer free edge of said other outer top closure flap.

2. In a box defined in claim 1;

(f) one of the lines of said frangible means in each of said inner top closure aps being spaced from and along the side walls from which they extend to provide a ange on each of said last-mentioned side walls at right angles thereto adapted to extend partially over the contents of said box and reinforcing said last-mentioned side walls when said one of said outer top closure aps is swung vto open position carrying said sections therewith.

3. In a box as defined in claim 1;

(f) one of the lines of said frangible means defining the outer edges of said lips and extending slantingly below the marginal portion of said other outer top closure flap along said outer free edge of the latter from points approximately even with said last-men tioned outer free edge to facilitate the breakage of said frangible means upon opening said one of said outer top closure flaps.

4. In a box as defined in claim 2;

(g) said one of said lines of said frangible means in each of said inner top closure tiaps extending to points adjacent to the outer free edges of said outer top closure flaps, and

(h) another of said lines of frangible means extending from each of said points to said outer free edges of said inner top closure flaps below said marginal portion of said other outer top closure flap for defining the outer edge of each of said lips.

5. In a box as deiined in claim 1;

(f) said outer free edges of said inner top closure fiaps being spaced apart a suflicient distance to provide a space to enable the fingers of a hand to engage the free outer edges of said one of said outer top closure flaps at said space free from interference with said inner top closure flaps, and

(g) said means for securing said outer top closure iiaps to said inner top closure fiaps being areas of glue respectively spaced Within the outlines of said sections below said one outer top closure flap with one of said areas being within the outline of each of said sections.

6. In a box as defined in claim 4;

(i) said inner and said outer top closure flaps each being rectangular in outline,

(j) said means for securing said outer top closure fiaps to said inner top closure flaps being areas of glue respectively spaced within the outlines of each of said inner top closure iiaps and below each of the outer top closure iiaps with one of said areas being within the outline of each of said sections, and

(k) said inner top closure flaps being formed with spaced aligned slits along said lines with said frangible means being lands of the material of said inner top closure flaps between adjacent pairs of said slits.

7. In a box as defined in claim 5;

(h) said inner top closure flaps being rectangular and of the same width between their said outer free edges and the side walls from which they extend, and

(i) said outer top closure flaps being rectangular and of the same width between their said outer free edges and the side walls from which they extend.

8. In a box as defined in claim 5;

(h) said inner top closure flaps being rectangular and of the same width between their said outer free edges and the side walls from which they extend, and

(i) said outer top closure aps being rectangular and said one of said outer top closure flaps being wider from its outer free edge to the wall from which it extends than the corresponding width of the other of said outer top closure aps.

9. `A blank for forming a rectangular box comprising;

(a) a single, elongated sheet of cardboard having parallel longitudinal outer edges extending longitudinally of said sheet and a pair of longitudinal parallel, spaced folding creases spaced between said longitudinal edges and extending from end to end of said blank toprovide an intermediate portion between said pair of creases for forming the four walls of said box and marginal portions along said creases outwardly thereof for forming the top and bottom closure flaps of said box,

(b) parallel transverse folding creases normal to said longitudinal creases extending across said intermediate portion for dividing said intermediate portion into panels forming said four walls, and said marginal portions being cut along lines parallel with and in outward continuations of each of said transverse creases for dividing said marginal portions into inner and outer pairs of top closure flaps and inner and outer pairs of bottom closure flaps foldable along said longitudinal creases to positions in which the closure flaps of the outer pairs of closure aps are coplanar extending at right angles to the closure aps of the inner pairs with the closure flaps of each pair of inner closure flaps coplanar when said side walls are folded along said transverse folding creases to form a rectangular box,

(c) the top folding flaps of said inner and outer pairs 2,713,454 2,810,507 10/ 1957 Saunders 229--37 having a holding means respectively integral therewith and coplanar with the top flaps of said inner pair and with the top aps of said outer pair in eugaging relation with the holding means on one flap of said outer pair overlapping the means on the aps of said inner pair for releasably holding the top flaps of said outer pair coplanar overlying the top flaps of said inner pair when said blank is folded to form said box,

(d) said flap holding means including sections of the top flaps of said inner pair integrally connected with the flaps of said last-mentioned pair by spaced lands, and said sections being secured to the other of the Vtop outer closure flaps, when said box is formed, for movement, of said sections as a unit with the lastmentioned closure flaps and said holding means further including a lip on each of said sections integral therewith underlying and unsecured to the other of said top outer folding flaps for springing past said other of said top outer folding flaps when said one of said outer top folding aps is swung to open and closed positions relative to the top side of said box.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1955 Nu et a1. 229-51 30 DAVID M. BOCKENEK, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

